The Soldiers of Anarchia
by ObsessedRomantic
Summary: Another tale from SergeantHeretic. Here we see Buck and Wilma dealing with a forgotten contingency plan from Buck's time that no one could have imagined surviving. please Please PLEASE read and review, I can't improve my work without feedback.
1. The end of the world as we know it

Soldiers of Anarchia

May 2nd, 1989

Senator James McSorley climbed out of the military grade High Maneuverability Multipurpose Wheeled vehicle or HMMWV for short, the soldiers all called it a "Humvee".

The Nevada sun was brutal even in late spring and he was already sweating through his rather expensive suit. General Barnaby of the U.S. Air Force invited the Senator here to see something called "The Phoenix project" whatever that was, some kind of oddball time capsule or some such. Whatever it was, it was a colossal waste of time, especially with World War Three getting ready to break out any moment. The world was getting ready to commit nuclear suicide and these eggheads were pouring billions with a "B" dollars into a damned hole in the ground in Nevada. Madness.

Five days later Senator McSorley was flying back to D.C., ready to give the Phoenix project his enthusiastic green light, and to push the Phoenix funding bill through both the senate and the house. He was now convinced that THIS was the only way the American way of life would see daylight after what was coming.

August 23rd, 2491

Colonel Wilma Deering, Flight Commander for the finest Star wing of the Earth Defense Directorate leisurely strolled into the personal quarters of Buck Rogers, the E.D.D.'s resident expert troubleshooter. She had pressed the door buzzer and Buck had bid her enter, but he seemed distracted.

Buck, for his part was in the center of the main room tossing small colored balls in the air and catching them over and over, the 20th Centurion SEEMED to be intently trying to keep as many of the balls in the air as possible. Twiki and Dr. Theopolis were looking on.

Wilma inquired,

"Buck, what are you doing?"

All of the colored spheres fell to the floor and buck exclaimed, "DAMN!" then responded, Oh, Hey Wilma, I was just playing with my balls, no big deal."

The joke seemed lost on the good Colonel and she brushed the odd phrase aside, telling the odd man,

"Dr. Huer sent me to come get you, we've detected a strong radio signal coming from the badlands, in the center of an unexplored region of Anarchia. Buck put his colored spheres away on a shelf and told her, "Well, let's check this out, it sounds weird enough to be right up my alley."

When they reached Dr. Elias Huer's main office, with Twiki and Theo in tow, Buck learned WHY the good Dr. had asked him in. The signal was a strong and clear broadcast of a coded alert signal used by the U.S. Strategic Air Command just prior to the Holocaust that had ended civilization on earth so many years ago.

The Comm was repeating a radio contact request from C. in C. S.A.C./Norad. To Space probe Ranger 3.

Captain Buck Rogers did not even hesitate, he was out of that office and headed for the main landing/launching bay to head for old Nevada and check out that signal. Whatever it was, it was a piece of home.

The ruins of Las. Vegas were a truly depressing sight. The city itself had not been hit, but it had been fought over and decimated after the fact. Outside of the ruins, the signal was stronger, and Buck and Wilma left the hover cruiser to check it out. The odd thing was that the ruins of Las Vegas and the surrounding area were free of Anarchian mutants; they could not even be heard scuttling in the shadows waiting for nightfall.

SOMETHING was going on.

Twiki and Theo were trailing behind Buck and Wilma and Dr. Theopolis was reading the data on the sensor Twiki was holding in his pincers.

"The strongest transmission signal seems to be west of the ruins, I think we should be getting near it in a few moments, Colonel."

Before the travelers could get more than a few more feet Dr. Theopolis told Buck and Wilma,

"Colonel, Captain, I'm detecting a large group of life forms nearby, perhaps caution is in order."

Before he could say anything more, the four of them were surrounded by ten men and women in grey and while military multipocket uniforms with helmets load bearing equipment and what were clearly some kind of projectile weapon. Buck recognized them as a variation of the M16's the U.S. Military had once used. They weren't blasters, they were worse, a blaster killed or stunned you quick and clean, these weapons would rend flesh and literally mangle bodies. When buck saw the professional disciplined and determined manner of the soldiers his hands shot in the air and he told Wilma,

"Hands, up, these guys aren't kidding around and those aren't blasters. Those guns'll tear holes in you and turn you to hamburger and at most we might get two or three before the rest of them kill us."

The woman leading the formation was wearing a tan multipocket tunic with the rest of her uniform and it seemed to be a mark of distinction of some kind, she seemed to be the leader. Buck squinted at her collar and saw a single cloth patch on each collar point, they were the three chevrons, three rockers and the diamond in the center of an American Army First Sergeant. Knowing what it was, Buck told her,

"Relax, 'Sarge' We're not going to do anything stupid, we surrender."

Colonel Deering was surprised to the other woman answer in clear, almost precise English,

"Smart move on your part. Captain William Rogers, United States Air Force, I am First Sergeant A.J. McCloud, United States Army and I am placing you under arrest for high treason against the United States of America."


	2. A Blast from the past

Buck, Wilma, Twiki and Dr. Theopolis found themselves being escorted to a large grayish tan mega vehicle with triple articulated wheel axles and a series of gun emplacements about it's hull, the armed party bullied them aboard and the metal behemoth trundled off to the west. The inside of the large mega truck was archaic by 25th century standards but was very advanced for Buck's recollections of his own time's tech.

Something was afoot.

Buck said nothing and did nothing sitting still and allowing the troopers to cuff him, Wilma followed his example. Not wishing to be literally torn to bloody meat by the archaic but deadly weapons. Even so, her trained military eyes and mind watched and observed everything, the inside of the truck, the soldiers, the weapons, even Buck's own silent compliance, there was an implied authority that Buck was lending these people in his own mind. Perhaps it was their words, or their clothing or their gear, but Buck was acting as if they really were soldiers from an old Earth empire that died in the Holocaust five centuries ago.

The battle vehicle trundled along for almost an hour and then suddenly dipped downward on a steep incline, Buck, and Wilma's ears popped and they knew they were now underground. After only a few moments more the large truck came to a stop and the strange anachronistic soldiers stood up and herded buck Wilma and the two cybernetics out of the vehicle and into a large cement garage/hanger styled enclosure.

There were at least a dozen more of the big vehicles in parking areas and they were tended by workmen and women of multiple ethnicities, in addition, there were more soldiers, both leaving and returning. Wilma, buck, and their party were herded to a detention area where the Soldiers who found them ordered them to,

"Strip, you two, let's go."

Buck commenced to do so, but Wilma balked and told the First Sergeant,

"What authority do you have to humiliate us like this?"

The Corporal behind Wilma rifle jacked her in the back of the head and then several specialists in white entered, stripped, and searched Wilma's unconscious body. Twiki and Dr. Theopolis were kept immobile and compliant given that Dr. Theopolis was well aware of what projectile weapons would do to his, and Twiki's casing, and Duotronic innards.

Buck's keen eye had observed several things inside the underground shelter.

It was big, no, not just big, huge, mammoth, titanic. In addition, most of the personnel were female and relatively young, or at least young looking the combat troops and excursion personnel had a good portion of men but the base's personnel inside were at least three quarters female.

After they were both searched, and their weapons and tools and personal effects confiscated, Buck felt a rifle butt prod him in the back and he walked forward, having been allowed to dress in his clothing once more. Wilma was left to awaken on her own after the helpers dressed her in her own uniform as if she were a life sized Barbie doll.

Buck's hand restraints had also been replaced.

Eventually, Buck was moved to a large wood paneled room that was obviously a conference room with several people, again, mostly female inside. There was a large U-shaped table and the people were sitting around it, some of them were wearing suits with skirts or pants, but most of them were wearing twentieth century Uniforms, class "A", Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps, respectively. Behind the center table were a series of flags, of the armed forces, and in the center of them stood the flag of the United States, as it existed during the twentieth century.

Most of the people at the table were women of various ethnicities. Buck looked up at the seal on the wall behind the center table and saw it was a large round seal with a stylized flaming bird, not an eagle, but a phoenix, from Greek legend. The words around the image read,

"United States restoration and reconstruction command, Federal headquarters."

The woman sitting at the center of the group opened a file in front of her on the table and addressed Buck for the first time since the Soldiers brought him in.

"Captain William Rogers United States Air Force." She read his serial number then seemed to stop to think for a moment as she scanned the rest, before continuing.

"25th tactical fighter wing, European Air forces command, attached to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Captain you were listed as lost in space when Johnson space center lost contact with your ship in 1987. You're dead. So, what is a dead American hero doing sitting in front of me, in the former company of an enemy agent.

Buck read the name plate in front of the woman and then asked her,

"A better question is, what are all of you doing here, Director Skinner? You guys have got a lot going on, here; this place is no 'mom and pop' stand."

"Captain, as you may recall, relations with the Soviet Union were at the worst they had been since the Cuban Missile crisis when you left us. Well shortly after that, the Federal Government inaugurated the Phoenix Project. It's purpose was to serve as a means to continue the American system of government and way of life after the coming conflict. We and everything you see are the products of that effort.

"So, what you're telling me is that instead of going fizzle the next crisis went 'bang' and everything went to hell in a handcart. Well I can actually see this; I can see some big brains in the C.O.G. department coming up with this as a contingency plan. I guess things really must have been bad for this project to get this kind of credence and funding."

"They were".

For 18 months there were no summits, no conferences, not even any posturing on their side and THAT was the real red alert warning for us.

By 1990, they were at something called 'yellow flag' and we were at DefCon two. By early 1991, I guess both sides were looking for a reason, any reason.

In may of '91 some idiot on their side shot down a TWA airliner, in June some doofus on out side blew up a Russian whaling ship. Thirty six hours after that whaling ship blew up the civilized world had ended."

"So, here you kids are, huh? The last of the red, white, and blue Americans."

"Excuse me, kids?"

"Yeah, look at you, nobody here looks like they're over forty, and most of you look like you're in your twenties. You're a pack of damned kids."

"Take captain Rogers back to his cell, I'll deal with him later."

Back in their cell, Buck, Wilma and the two mechanoids were having a most animated discussion concerning their situation and surroundings.

Buck chimed in with,

"Why are they all so damned young, and while we're on the subject, why are most of them women, I swear, this whole place looks like a high school musical let out.

Wi8lma pointed out,

"Buck, the U.S. just didn't know how to place people in suspended animation, but they could preserve embryos. I'll wager these people weren't born more than forty years ago, and that they were raised and taught by automated support systems."

"What, computers, robots?"

"Exactly, Buck." Wilma answered.

"Well that explains a lot."

Theo asked,

"Such as what, Captain?"

"They don't have any tics, no wasted movements, no twitches, they don't even act human, or at least, not much. The grunts, don't fidget or gossip, NOBODY in this museum slash mausoleum seems to be really alive. Witch figures, I guess, you get raised by robots, you're gonna act like a robot, no offense, Theo, Twiki."

"None taken, Captain Rogers."

"SO, let me see if I've got this straight. The Federal Continuity of Government office gets the idea that stuff is about to get weird. So they put together a giant disaster emergency kit for after the 'rads' die down, but they can't do people in the freezer, they don't know how. so they stick seven or eight hundred fertilized eggs in the freezer with a bunch of robots and computers witch they COULD do, along with all the goodies they might need, and the machines start everything up about forty years ago, and that's why that old lady is only forty. Do I have that, about right?"

"I believe your summation is, essentially correct, captain."

Wilma chimed in, "So these people aren't from Buck's time, but they have been educated and indoctrinated to think as if they were American soldiers and political officials from Buck's time."

Dr. Theopolis responded with,

"That seems to be the case, Colonel, as Buck might say, that is about the size of it."


	3. The kids in America

Buck and Wilma remained in their cell for several hours before a group of five troopers moved them to another lager room. The soldiers kept their weapons at the relaxed ready position and were obviously watching Buck and Wilma, Twiki and Dr. Theopolis were left in the cell.

Buck realized that, if he attempted any 'Kung foolishness' he and Wilma would be chopped to hamburger. These Soldiers seemed to take it for granted that both officers could handle themselves. That was disappointing and also served as a caution to Buck Rogers, who had grown too used to dealing with 25th century criminals and malefactors all of whom assumed Buck to be an ignorant backward savage and in doing so, underestimated him.

Clearly, in this situation the days of wine and butt kicking had ended.

The two officers watched and waited as they were escorted into yet another carpeted wood paneled conference room with important looking military and civilian people in it, mostly women. There were two uncomfortable looking metal folding chairs at the center of the room and The Soldiers led Wilma and Buck toward them, still cuffed and pushed roughly into sitting positions onto them.

The first question came from the older woman Buck spoke to earlier and was for Wilma.

"When did your army assume occupation of the Continental United States?"

Colonel Wilma Deering did not understand the character of the question, it seemed to carry the assumption that Wilma, or at least her immediate forebears were NOT native to these shores.

"Madame Chairperson, I don't understand the question, could you please clarify, it?

Director Skinner sighed heavily and looked as if Wilma was doing a clog dance on her last nerve.

"When did the Army of the Soviet Union commence military occupation of the continental United States, 'Comrade Deering?'"

That was when Buck and Wilma realized that these people thought the war, the conflict that destroyed 20th century civilization, was still ongoing. They might have even believed that such a conflict was 'Winnable'.

Buck was obviously allowing Wilma to take the lead while he assessed and gathered visual clues.

"Madame Chairperson, Skinner, what year do you think this is?"

"Don't get cute, Comrade, you're here to ANSWER questions, not ASK them. Moreover, you know darned well that the year is 2081. Forty years to the day after the harmful radiation subsided."

"Madame, Chairperson, the year is 2492, by the old Gregorian calendar. The years is 277 as we reckon it from the beginnings of the re establishment of civilization on Earth's surface.

The American and Soviet Governments, as well as the lion's share of the allied governments were essentially destroyed, by what came to be known as the nuclear holocaust. Humankind very nearly perpetrated genocide against itself and we have only started to recover relatively recently."

Buck finally spoke up,

"Director Skinner, if I remember correctly, the sensors the Civil defense and Nuclear Regulatory commission used, were primarily set to measure Gamma rays. Those things have a half-life of nearly four hundred years. That means this place didn't get going until about the year 2450, or thereabouts. The war you're talking about and thinking about ended in mutual futile carnage and death centuries ago."

Wilma chimed in, with,

"No one occupied or invaded anyone else's country; no one was the victor in that war except for death itself. Now, Earth is united, as one. No more nations, no more human on human wars. Now, there is only the war for survival against a hostile cosmos and the lingering death on Earth."

Director of operations Kathleen skinner was raised to always believe congruent information and to never believe incongruent information. Everyone else in the Phoenix compound was raised the same way, which was why no one here subscribed to the old fables their forebears had cherished before the war. They were INcongruent data.

The fact that this woman, possibly an enemy agent told her a story, was, in and of itself, meaningless, but Captain William Rogers, a decorated flying officer, an American hero and a very smart man in his own right told her the same thing. The data was congruent.

She decided to return them to their cell and question their cybernetic companions, and if that information was in accord, then the final step would be taken. To send a representative out there, with them to confirm their stories.


	4. That's alright, Momma

Colonel Wilma Deering and Captain Buck Rogers were sitting in their detention cell in the mammoth underground complex that made up the "Phoenix project. Dr. Theopolis and Twiki had been taken to speak with Director Skinner who seemed to be the project's civilian leader on an effective lifetime basis.

Buck and Wilma were having a strategy session as to what was going on and what to do if anything.

Buck had already tried to open the air vent at the joining of the wall and ceiling and found the vent to be less than six inches square in width and breadth. The designers of this place had apparently thought of everything.

Buck sat back on the bunk in the room and told Wilma,

"I have been getting sloppy."

"Colonel Deering asked,

"What do you mean by sloppy."

"Your contemporary jerkweed in the 25th century is so dependent on tech and preconceptions and so secure in their own imagined superiority that I can usually get a leg over. These people are nothing like that. They treat us as if we are smart, educated, and dangerous, all of witch is true. Damn it."

"Is there anything we can do, Buck?"

"Well, Wilma, That's what I've been sitting here contemplating. I think there may be a way to attack them. See, in the U.S. Air Force Fighter command one of the things we were taught was to seek out the enemy's weakness and attack it, and if direct attack is not workable, to attack indirectly. They're good and they're smart, but their weakness is that they only THINK they are from the twentieth century. I actually am from the twentieth century. There are cultural assumptions, colloquialism, sub textual cues, and subtleties that I know, because I was RAISED by and with OTHER people from the same culture. They were raised by machines."

"And we can use that, Buck?"

"Oh you bet we can, Colonel Deering, you bet your sweet bippy."

Wilma took a different stance and told Buck,

"Buck, I think we should treat these people carefully. For all of their misguidedness they are STILL children of Earth and what was done to them by old misguided men is NOT their fault. As of yet they have yet to do serious damage to either one of us or Twiki and Dr. Theopolis. They would not have even captured us if we had not transgressed their territory. A territory they have been doing their best to defend from what they see as enemies."

"Wilma, what's with the touchy feely crap, they've got us in a cell and they are bunch of test tube babies playing let's pretend and playacting at being Americans."

"Your people did this, Buck. The same men who participated in the holocaust did this, out of some infantile desire to have 'the last word'. Buck I find your adversarial stance toward them to be terribly misplaced."

"What are you talking about, Wilma?

"These people are NOT Draco or Kane, or Princess Ardala, nor are they any of the genuine threats to the Earth Defense directorate. If anything, they are lost children created by misguided old men who thought they could win a fight with flame throwers in a house drenched in gasoline."

"Well, maybe, and I say MAYBE you're right Wilma. So if I grant your premise, then what do we do?"

"We talk to them, we get at their minds, and we turn them around. If possible, we get them to send someone back with us to New Chicago, to see the real world of the 25th century. Dr. Theopolis is probably doing that right now."

Wilma was in fact correct. Dr. Theopolis was at that very moment before the assembled panel of the Project's military and civilian leadership. Explaining to them what the 25th century was really like.

Director Skinner finally spoke to the cybernetic mind as she read the report that she just received.

"Dr. some of our best minds have just finished carbon and materials dating on fragments and rubble taken from the ruins of Las Vegas, Nevada. The data is in accord with the time scale you and your human friends told us. The overwhelming data indicates that there were no Soviet landings in the continental United States and that it has in fact been five centuries since the end of the nuclear war; excuse me, the nuclear holocaust."

Then the 40-year-old woman suddenly looked as if she was a lost little girl as she told Dr. Theopolis,

"I don't know what to do." Then she realized what Theopolis was and asked him almost pleadingly,

"Can you tell us what to do? You are a computer, one that is more advanced than anything we've ever seen, computers always know what to do. Can you tell us what to do?"


	5. The thunder rolls

Back at the headquarters of the Earth Defense Directorate, Dr. Elias Huer was very preoccupied. No, not preoccupied, Dr. Elias Huer was on the edge of frantic apoplexy.

His two best people not to mention one of the .'s best Cyberminds were missing, and had been so for the better part of two days with no word and no sign of survival. Their life signs and tracking chips could not even be detected from orbit. That in and of itself would not have been enough to cause him to pace his office as if he were a caged animal and harass Central Command Solar defense with calls for status. What was putting him over the top as it were was the Draconian battlewagon in orbit that was successfully standing off the E.D.D Starfighters. What was more was that Kane had obtained a short-term mega decryption key from the technological black market and was even now landing a battalion of his best troops near New Chicago.

All they had to do was make a hard and fast hit and run raid on the planetary Shields reserve computer and power banks and the shield would be down on a permanent basis.

The shield's power and computer system was located near New Reno, and E.D.D. ground forces were presently spread too thin to bring force against them in time, even if he COULD find Buck and Wilma.

If there was enough ground force to deal with the Draconian incursion, the E.D.D. Star wings could concentrate on the Draconian Battle cruiser. Nevertheless, one might just as well wish for flying horses and a daylong diet of sweets at this point, Dr. Huer thought forlornly. Dr. Huer finally went personally to the Space Defense Command center and asked for one more attempt on any frequency to reach Wilma and Buck to learn of their fate.

Director Skinner ordered the release of Captain Rogers and Colonel Deering, because Dr. Theopolis told her to, or more correctly, he told her and her leadership council that Buck and Wilma and the Earth Council could help them. Just as Buck and Wilma were accepting their weapons and goods, Director Skinner was taking a comm call and learning of the nearby draconian invasion courtesy of her own Command and Control center.

Buck, Wilma, Twiki, and Dr. Theopolis were conducted with the Director to a virtual duplicate of the main control center at Iron Mountain from Buck's time.

When they arrived, a woman dressed in the relaxed class "A" shirt and skirt uniform of an Air Force Master Sergeant worked her keyboard and touched the earpiece she wore. Then she told the Director,

"I am receiving an urgent call on the official Conelrad emergency frequency for Colonel Deering and Captain Rogers, shall I put it through, Madame Director?" Director Skinner told the Master Sergeant to put the call through and quipped at Captain Rogers,

"It appears to be for you."

At the same time several other tech Comm specialists told her of the Battalion sized force of mechanized infantry that was on it's way to a point between Las Vegas and the Phoenix Project Director Skinner asked Colonel Deering,

"What is this, are those your people?"

Wilma answered her,

"No, Madame Director, those are troops of an enemy of Earth, they are your enemy as well."

Director Skinner looked at the screen and looked at Dr. Theopolis. Dr. Theopolis told her. The Draconian primary military focus is on battling enemies that possess energy weapons and 25th century military technology, Director. They have never faced, or had to fight an enemy as, shall we say, usefully primitive as yourselves.

Director Skinner told Wilma, "Colonel you are the ranking officer for the Earth Defense Directorate, I leave you to coordinate with your forces and command."

Then she told her own people,

"Take us to Defense Condition one." Then she told Buck and Wilma, I need you both to lead a strike force against this new enemy, Dr. Theopolis can stay here with us to talk to your people.

Dr. Huer was on the left hand screen telling the Director that the Draconians were heading for the New Reno Shield defense bunker. Director nodded and told her own forces, what do do.

The Air Force Colonel (Who was another woman) told them,

"All commands, All commands this is Crystal Palace, we are at defense condition one enemy force identified as Draconian infantry and armor headed for the Reno ruins Mechanized Infantry and Air cavalry, commands are ordered to deploy fangs out and do battle."

Wilma and Buck went with an Army Colonel to the main infantry ready area. When they reached there, She started taking off her class "A" uniform and changing into Battle dress uniform and combat armor. Buck was startled by the woman's lack of body modesty, and Wilma more so, but looking around they saw many other men and women changing into battle gear and uniform right in front of them and each other.

As the formation rolled out Buck asked Wilma, "Jeeze, what was with the strip show back there, it was like she and they didn't care if anyone saw them naked."

Wilma thought about it and answered Buck,

"Well, they probably didn't, Buck. Remember they were raised by computers and robot servos, not by people, no one taught them any of your time's cultural taboos and foibles."

Buck added, "Yeah, That figures Wilma, it also explains why they let us go and gave us our stuff back when Dr. Theopolis told them to. They been doing what computers tell them to all their lives."

"Exactly, Buck."

The Communication chatter in the Mega vehicle told them that the enemy had been sighted. Then they heard

"All Units all Units you are red and free, engage engage engage"

A draconian Iron Fist class Armored transport is proofed against all types of Energy, laser and plasma weapons and firepower. This makes it the premier Armored battle truck of it's time. The Iron Fist class is NOT proofed against Sidewinder air to surface missiles. Nor is it, or any other draconian weapon system proofed against Kinetic and chemical explosive munitions, after all, why would they be, 'NO ONE uses THOSE any more'.


	6. If you want blood

Commander Kane and Crown Princess Ardala were in the central command vehicle of the Draconian spearhead. It was custom built to both serve as his command center and provide for her luxuries, this slowed it down and made it much bigger than it had to be strictly speaking. It was what caused the draconian column's top speed in this spearhead to be an effective twenty miles per hour.

That did not actually present a problem at first as the Earth Defense ground forces were spread too thin to do more than get chewed up piecemeal by the Draconian battalion. They had relied on their vaunted defense shield for far too long, to their detriment.

That was what Kane was telling Princess Ardala when the lead Iron Fist troop carrier on the formation's left flank blew up. It was only then that the comm tech told Kane,

"Commander, we are being fired upon by a formation of troops coming from the southwest, they appear to be using some kind of primitive weapons."

As he said that, Kane watched a second object streak in and destroy another troop carrier. It was flying to fast to be shot down by anti aircraft batteries, but it was too small to be a fighter. Kane wracked his mind until he realized it was a missile. Most likely chemically powered and tipped with a chemical explosive. The Commander exclaimed,

"Whose museum collection did Dr. Huer loot to find these weapons He must truly be desperate. At any rate he can't have very many of those relics, continue on, Trooper."

That was when the screens lit up with a virtual curtain of the chemical rockets tipped with explosives and the Battalion was cut in half.

Kane was about to order the Draconian troops to return fire when all the vehicles stopped and the lights and computer screens went dark. The red lights of emergency backup came back online, but none of the other vehicles had such systems. Ardala demanded,

"Kane, what has happened, what have these barbarians done? DO SOMETHING!"

Commander Kane did something. He ordered all troops to deploy and move on foot against the coming enemy formation.

They were met on the ground by humans in grey and while mottled uniform with helmets and body armor colored the same way. They weapons they carried did not look like E.D.D. blaster rifles, Kane was wondering what they were when the enemy stared firing and their fire tore into the draconian soldiers.

Somehow their weapons, rather than blast or stun were tearing His Majesty's troops to bloody bits.

Slug throwers, Kinetic energy weapons, chemical missiles. No one had used such weapons in war for centuries. One of the techs actually said,

"Modern warfare doctrine is not meant to fight such archaic weapons." Commander Kane shot the man for stating the obvious in so infuriating a manner.

The enemy Soldiers were too far apart to kill more than one at a time with an single volley and they seemed to know how to cover each other with cooperative fields of fire. Not only that but even when one of them fell they were almost immediately ministered to by other troops.

The screens registered what seemed to be a sensor glitch and Kane disregarded it. Shortly after that there was a terrible boom, the Command vehicle stopped moving and shut down, and Kane could swear he smelled something burning.

Outside, the battle continued and was going badly for the Draconians. Even when they closed with them for hand to hand fighting, the enemy in grey and white was more than a match. It was almost as if they were super troopers. They were as strong as Draconians and as fast and agile. In close, many were literally stabbing the Draconian troops with knives hooked to the ends of their weapons, finding the bottom edge of their armor and then stabbing upward and under.

These people were barbarians, even for Earth Standards.

That was when Kane, Ardala, and Tigerman heard and felt the explosion as the main hatch was blown away from the command vehicle. That was when Buck Rogers, wearing a helmet and body armor set identical to the enemy troops walked in and Tigerman came at him. Buck and one of the troopers, a woman attacked the behemoth at the same time and took him down, and then they did the woman looked at him and said,

"Dude, you are FUGLY?"

Kane looked at Rogers and drew his blaster, buck shot it out of his hand and told Kane,

"You didn't think this was actually going to work, did you, Kane, old buddy? I mean look at where we are, this is Las Vegas, baby, and in Vegas, the House ALWAYS wins."

"This will not end Rogers, Draco will hear of this, I promise you and he will send a force ten times this size."

"Oh yeah, Kane, are you really going to tell 'Poopypants the great' how you screwed up again and cost him all these troops and gear? I don't think so. I think in this case, especially for you, what happens in Vegas STAYS in Vegas."


	7. Headstrong

Captain Buck Rogers and Colonel Wilma Deering watched as the soldiers of the Phoenix project mopped up the Draconian forces. Dr. Huer informed them via Comms that the Starfighter wing had dealt with the Draconian Battlewagon and the situation was contained.

Buck was making sure that Kane, Ardala and Tigerman did not have the chance to try anything and Wilma made sure the Draconian Prisoners were transferred to E.D.D. custody. It was Dr. Theopolis who noticed that the Phoenix troopers were confiscating the draconian weapons and technology and taking it back to their underground redoubt.

Wilma noted his concern and asked Colonel Marion McQueen of the U. strike force,

"What are you doing with the Draconian weapons, where are you taking them?"

"They will be taken as prizes of war and studied, then doubtless reverse engineered and used to advance the general weapons technology of our forces in assistance of our basic mandate."

"What do you mean, by your basic mandate?"

"I am referring to our core mission, Colonel, the resurrection, and defense of the United States of America as such and of the unique American way of life."

Buck overheard that last comment and began to get a bad feeling about Colonel McQueen's certitude about it.

Wilma, Buck, and Dr. Theopolis returned with Twiki to the Redoubt and resolved to have a good long talk with Director Skinner.

Director Skinner for her part was having a heated conversation with Dr. Huer concerning where the metaphorical bear would sit after their mutual victory, a victory that Director skinner argued, with some evidence to back her, that belonged solely to the Phoenix project.

"Our Soldiers, fought this battle, our soldiers were wounded and killed in this battle and our weapons were instrumental in winning this battle, Dr. Your people's sole contribution to this fight was one space flight officer and two cybernetics as advisors."

That was when Dr. Huer asked incredulous,

"What do you mean one, we sent two Colonel Deering and Captain Rogers."

"Colonel Deering is one of your officers, true enough, but Dr, I must remind you that Captain William Rogers is an officer in the tactical air command of the United States Air force. According to the protocols of this project that places him securely in MY chain of command and table of organization and equipment Captain Rogers is one of MY officers, not yours."

"Director Skinner, the end of the American command structure in the Nuclear Holocaust,"

"Hold on there, Dr. Our project was created by and is the direct inheritor of that command authority. When war broke out and the command structure broke down, the last thing they did was to hand every bit of their authority, both civilian and military, to THIS project. We have confirmed records that prove that conclusively. That means that we are the legitimate sovereign government of the United States of America. Captain Rogers is responsible to me, not you."

Buck's rude awakening came when he received the order over his earpiece to return to the Redoubt, an order authenticated as coming from Air Force general Karen Dobkin. To Wilma's extreme surprise, he obeyed it.

Both Dr. Huer, Dr. Theopolis and Colonel Deering were at a loss.

It was anyone's guess what would happen now.


	8. For witch it stands

The Earth Defense Directorate was in turmoil. They had just repelled an attack that could have been devastating, but before they could rest on their laurels, one of their best operatives had seemingly defected to join a group of savages in the wastelands of Anarchia.

Dr. Theopolis was perplexed as well, Twiki seemed inconsolable at the loss of his friend, Buck and Wilma did not know what to think, nor could she make sense of her feelings. Buck defecting to the Anarchian self-styled 'Americans' hurt, far worse than she thought it would. Finally, in a fit of anger she told Dr. Huer aloud, (And very loudly)

" If that backward Neanderthal wants to go root in the mud with the other savages, then let him I could not care less, I hope he rots out there in the ruins."

Then she stormed out to return to her quarters.

Dr. Huer watched her leave and regretted the fact that he could not tell her of the conversation he had with buck just before he went to return with the Anarchian Soldiers to their stronghold. She needed to know, but at this point, she could not be told.

Buck returned to the Redoubt and accepted the quarters, uniforms and other issued items they issued him. One set of class 'A' uniform, one set of Air Force Dress blues, three sets of flight suit and five sets of underclothes as well as seven sets of shoes and boots grand total. Buck was surprised to learn that they had an Air wing of fight and bomber craft. His first duty was to act as a practical flight instructor for the other pilots. Up to now, they did not have anyone who could take them up and actually SHOW them how to fly for real. Their helicopters were one thing and could be easily learned, but piloting jet aircraft was an art unto itself. One that simply could not be taught except from experience by an instructor with air under his feet.

Buck Rogers was taken to their hanger and shown his aircraft, A pristine and intact F15E Strike Eagle with the marking of the 25th tactical fighter wing, US Air Force on the fuselage and tail assembly and the Air Force roundel on the wings. On the randome just under the canopy, he saw it read,

'Capt. W. Rogers"

his ship was a two seater, witch made it a trainer craft. The man he was to train stood next to him Air force Lieutenant Ben Carver. Buck realized he would have to take the man up or there could be problems.

Flying that plane was like coming home for Buck and he had to admit that his trainees took to it as if they were ducks in water. These kids were good, darned good. Most of them only needed one piggyback flight, before they could go solo. They were scary smart.

The Earth Defense directorate's airspace sensors were registering daily flights of archaic jet powered aircraft from the American southwest. None of them seemed to transgress new Chicago airspace, but despite that, it was worrisome.

Dr. Huer now knew that the Anarchian Soldiers had one full division each of Mechanized infantry, armored vehicles and tanks, air cavalry and airborne troops as well as a full air wing of late 20th century fighter craft and bomber craft. His source for the information was one he refused to disclose, but it seemed to coincide with Buck's defection to the 'Americans'.

Director Skinner also seemed adamant that not only was she not responsible to the Earth Defense Directorate, but they should actually be deferring to HER as she claimed she represented the rightful government in North America.

"Dr. Huer, I accept that you and the descendants of the survivors of the holocaust are the government of the rest of the planet, but even having conceded that, I must remind you that we hold in our hands the integral relics of the United States. We hold her Constitution, her bill of Rights, her Declaration of independence from Great Britain and every other document and treasure of heritage related to our kin and kind. You have three choices, you can swear allegiance to the United States Government and obey our laws and edicts, you can move your government to another location on the planet, or you can continue this issue in the martial field. That is all."


	9. American woman

"Dr. Huer, I accept that you and the descendants of the survivors of the holocaust are the government of the rest of the planet, but even having conceded that, I must remind you that we hold in our hands the integral relics of the United States. We hold her Constitution, her bill of Rights, her Declaration of independence from Great Britain and every other document and treasure of heritage related to our kin and kind. You have three choices, you can swear allegiance to the United States Government and obey our laws and edicts, you can move your government to another location on the planet, or you can continue this issue in the martial field. That is all."

This did not look good. It almost seemed as if she and her people were spoiling for a fight. Dr. Theopolis told her that Director Skinner was not an irrational or belligerent woman; she was just uncertain and attempting to follow her mission as she understood it. The existence of the Earth government as such in the 25th century was, to her, a direct threat to that.

THAT was the seed of the conflict.

Colonel Deering was following her duties as best she could and leading the Earth Defense directorate star fighter squadrons in atmospheric patrols to guard against the air sorties of the Phoenix project, or as they now called themselves, 'the U.S. Reconstruction command.'

Their army was on the ground below them putting down Anarchian mutants and even pressing hard on the bands of badlands bandits like Black Barney and the renegade Holnists. Both latter groups were getting the worst of it as the would be 'Americans' established their primacy over the area. It seemed as if the only force that could challenge them was the Earth Defense directorate itself, and while the E.D.D would win, it would not be a victory Wilma would take any pride in.

Wilma did not WANT to make war on those people. They were victims of the pride and prejudices of men that were long dead. They were to be pitied, not hated. What was more was that she would be fighting against Buck if it came to blows and the thought of that twisted her up inside so that she could barely think straight.


	10. The youth of the nation

Captain Buck Rogers was now, at least on paper, once again an official member of the United States Air force. He had two jobs. The first was training clones raised by computers how to fly fighters and bombers and when they were trained, leading them in the air as their Air wing commander. He had now been promoted to full bird Colonel because of the fact that he led the Air wing, but he just could not make it real in his own mind.

These people, this complex all of it just did not seem real. Yes, it was here, yes it was very well established and yes they could establish a sort of new American power base here in the 25th century, but they were NOT his people. Buck felt no real loyalty to them

That was why Buck Rogers had no problem whatsoever with his true mission. The mission he and Dr. Huer cooked up in secret to deal with these people for certain and prevent any further problems or hostilities.

Buck's mission was to pretend to defect, then gain their trust and use it to subvert and undermine their power base and defenses.

The problem with Buck's mission was that these kids seemed to look up to him and set great store by nearly everything he said and did. To them, he was Colonel Buck Rogers the star spangled deep blue HE-RO and the pilots he helped train were even now aping his swagger and pose of fighter jock confidence because he told them that was how fighter pilots behaved.

As he had told them in a class briefing,

"If you don't know who the best fighter pilot is, it is NOT you."

It really was almost as if he was back home. They had the right uniforms, the right equipment, planes, vehicles, and everything and it was all sustainable because of the automated factories they had making everything they needed. Their jets and vehicles did not run on petroleum distillate but rather they ran on a hydrogen ethanol fuel that they could make totally in house.

The real problem was that as Wilma had pointed out, these children were NOT bad. They had the right idea, rebuild America and recover from the holocaust; they could even be of real help to the Earth Government as far as recovering the surface of the Earth. The mistake they were making was that their view of the United States was based, not in reality, but in some cartoonish T.V. landish caricature of what America had once been like.

Buck spent a day walking around one of the residential levels of the great underground complex and talking to and watching these people and how they acted, then he went to their central archives and looked at their 'visual historical archives'.

Forty years worth of American television programs. dramas, situation comedies, and various action and adventure programs. That was what they really thought the United States had been like. When they were off duty they seemed to switch from acting like ultra serious ultra professionals to acting as if they were characters in a 24/7 television show.


	11. Second to none

Buck Rogers had, in his time in the 25th Century found himself doing many things to protect the people of Earth. Some of it had pretty strange and most of it had been very dangerous. Now however Buck was leading the command squadron of the Phoenix project air wing in support of their ground troops and AGAINST some bad people that had ruled the badlands of Anarchia for Centuries. The Holnists.

Shortly after the great Holocaust many bands of hyper survivalists had taken the fall of the United States as an invitation to 'the land of Doasyouplease'.

Nathan Holn had been the worst of the lot, Buck actually remembered the man from back before his mission, before the Holocaust Holn was a militant religionist misogynist racist whom no one really took seriously, and his most obvious achievement had been forming a group called "The Lord hates Queers".

Apparently, after the big boom he really made hay.

The Holnists ruled their section of the Southwestern U.S. witch they called, 'God's kingdom' for nearly five centuries.

Now, though, the Phoenix project was into it's second generation and had moved to phase two of the project.

The reestablishment of civil order and authority and the enforcement of the bill of rights.

The Holnists current monarch, General Bethlehem did not know whether to use the bathroom or lose his vision. Buck was leading his pilots in close air support duties in assistance of the project's ground offensive.

Fighting the Holnists and saving the people they oppressed was not just a good thing, for Buck, it was FUN.

Wilma and her pilots could be seen high in the sky in most cases. Her job was to aid neither side and observe what was going on. Dr. Huer was using these engagements to gauge Director Kathleen Skinner's intentions and motivations. To see if she was truly a good and worthy person, someone who could unite her people with the overall Earth Government.

Behind the Project's Soldiers in their wave of victories came aid workers from the Project brining food, medicine aid, and comfort for the victims of the Holnists.

General Bethlehem decided to lead his men or rather what remained of his men in an all out offensive against the Village housing the Project's forward field command post. The problem with his plan was that every move leading up to it had been dictated by the project and orchestrated by their Psychological Operations Command.

The ground on witch Bethlehem was planning to march into the village was designated 'Killbox one Alpha'

Bethlehem would be allowed to march his force in with the project's ground forces offering token resistance. Then the 'Killbox' would be closed and Buck and his boys and girls would turn it into a charnel house. Everything in 'Killbox one Alpha' was going to die.

The Village and the surrounding hovels had been evacuated days earlier in advance of this operation.

Buck's Fighter/bomber group was orbiting at an altitude that would let them hide until they were called for, Wilma's Starfighters were orbiting at still a higher and more distant level to observe the operation.

The Project's SWACS observations craft was helping Director Skinner observe the operation herself. It was her hope that this operation would blast a crater so deep in the memory of the Anarchian bandits, that the primacy and power of the restored United States would never be questioned by anyone not even the Earth Defense Directorate.

As Buck waited for the word to come over his flight helmet radio, he looked up through the canopy of his F 15E at the sky where he knew Wilma was surely watching. He knew why the E.D.D. had never really done anything about groups like the Holnists and Black Barney and the other Anarchians. You can defend the Earth from outside threats, a full time job at the best of times, or you can fritter away your time and forces fighting a thousand fleabite tyrants in the ruins. You cannot do both.

These military and humanitarian campaigns were the decisive test for the so-called 'United States reconstruction command'.


	12. Missionary man

Buck's Fighter Squadron, the 'Avenging Angels' received the word. Go for Operation Clean Sweep as a part of 'Operation roundhammer'. Hearing that, he told his boys and girls,

"That's us, kiddies, time to give General Bethie a whole new way to hurt, let's get 'em!"

Ten heavily loaded F15E fighter/bombers flew in on their designated bombing run and came into rang of the 'Killbox' As they moved down to the deck Buck could see the Holnist's air of triumph evaporate. Their formation started to break apart and General Bethlehem screamed at his men not to be afraid, that god was on their side. They did not seem to buy it and the ground troops had to use mortars and skirmishers to keep them in the Killbox. Buck told his pilots,

"O.K. guys and dolls keep it tight, our guys are 'danger close' so let's do this right, I want this stuff clean, no blue on blue, say roger."

A chorus of Rogers and yes sirs met his ears and Buck gave the order.

"Commence bombardment."

Buck loosed his payload first and his pilots followed in presion drops that were almost mathematical in their targeting. The explosions created a rush of heat and air that practically kicked the fighter planes in their backsides. Down on the ground in the Killbox it was literally hell on Earth.

The Holnists were not killed all at once. Many of them were still alive and on fire. Colonel Marion McQueen of the United States Army, watched them and ordered her forces,

"Don't shoot, let the bastards burn!"

It took the remaining Holnists the rest of the day and night to die and they did so in agony.

Black Barney was in the rocky hills and ruins watching. After the day and night of combat he decided that the territory around the Southwester U.S. was a place he no longer wished to occupy and resolved to head for less lethal terrain. The lands and Villages of 'Mezisco' sounded like a good place to call home and so he headed south. Barney said to his men,

"Let these Sissies have Merrika I was tired of the place anyhow."

Dr. Huer called Colonel Deering back to New Chigago and when she reported, told her,

"Colonel I am now convinced that whatever happens we cannot allow a conflict between ourselves and the Phoenix Project to occur. Such a thing would be a tragic blunder. They are so much like us in motivation and purpouse that we have to begin working out a compromise that will allow them to join us and still keep their pride."

"But, Dr. Huer, how can you do that, how are we going to get through their Nationalistic obsession?"

"Wilma, I think I have a way around that as well and it comes from their own National History. Wilma, do you remember after one of the world wars, the American Empire helped form a sort of world Union?

"Sort of, wasn't it called the Union of Nations, or something?"

"The United Nations, and it's headquarters was on American Soil, right in the heart of one of the most powerful cities."

"I see, so they'll be able to join us, but still tell themselves that they are their own nation."

"Just so Wilma, just so, and eventually, such a ruse will no longer be needed. 


	13. Bad to the bone

After dropping their eggs on the Holnists and cutting out, Buck and his pilots broke left and headed back to the barn. Their job had been done and now the ground forces and low altitude airmobile forces would mop up the mess. There was a lot to clean up but Colonel Rogers had something else on his mind.

His fellow flyers, they were good, No not just good, scary good. They learned fast, they had fantastic reflexes and they all showed at least 20/10 vision. They were not the only ones, though. Everyone at the Phoenix project was like that. Strong, fast, tough, smart, lean and mean, supremely competent, and multifaceted. Real people were not like that, not even the 25th centurions were that good or gifted.

What the heck was going on?

Buck Rogers resolved to find out.

Wilma, for her part was back at the Earth Defense Directorate headquarters in New Chicago. Dr. Huer tasked her with a complete combat analasis of the engagement between the Holnists and the New Americans.

The Holnists carried swords, spears, clubs and bows and arrows and some of them, officers and the like carried crude pistol style muskets.

The New Americans carried Semi Automatic slug thrower pistols,, submachine assault rifles, grenade launchers, light anti armor weapons, and were backed up by late 20th century helicopters and aircraft.

It had been the most one sided military engagement in Earth history.

That was not the truly remarkable thing. What was really giving the A.I. Council pause was the recordings of the battle between the New Americans and the Draconian Landing force.

Weapons and tactics from five centuries ago defeated a force armed with the latest and most powerful energy weapons known.

The obvious answer was that the Draconians had not fought an army armed with projectile and chemical explosive weapons in three centuries. The less obvious answer was that the New Americans seemed tailor made for war. Smart, fast, strong, and supremely capable.

Dr. Huer told her and Theopolis of an old myth. One that an Anarchian refugee spoke of after she had been rescued.

The legend of the Supermen

These were supposed to have been giants, titans, heroic figures that could fell mountains and alter the course of rivers. Men wearing suits of armor and powerful rings from heaven and other such wonders. Dr. Huer thought they were just tales told around a fire or other such silliness, but perhaps there was something to these stories and perhaps there was some reality given that these stories experienced resurgence two decades ago.

Right about the time the first generation of Phoenix Soldiers grew up and started doing things.

People that can run fast. No faster than motor vehicles or aircraft, but faster on average than most humans and certainly most people in Anarchia. People that are strong. Not strong enough to knock down a mountain, but strong enough to best most humans and do feats of strength that would impress most people.

Dr. Theopolis did a full search of the available data records to find a explanation. What there was proved to be pieces of several different things. The gestalt of witch revealed that the Soldiers, politicians and technicians of the Phoenix project were genetically engineered to be superior eugenic humans. They were also taught by computers to undervalue and minimize their abilities to prevent tyrannical arrogance.

Buck learned the same thing in his own searches. What buck learned however was that the people of New America thought everyone was like them. They did not KNOW they were special. Many of them were surprised to see that buck was not as fast, fit, or strong as they were.

Buck Rogers knew something of history. He was never the stereotypical "Fighter jock" it was one of the reasons he made such a good troubleshooter for the Earth Defense Directorate.

During the Second World War, the National Socialists in Germany had been experimenting heavily with eugenics and the idea of "Breeding" a perfect "Master race". During Operation Paper Clip just after the war many of the unknown Nazi scientists came over to the U.S. to share their knowledge.

The Litchfield project in the 1950's and 60's was their brainchild.

Once Buck put that together, it was obvious.

The New Americans. The children of the "Phoenix project" were the finished products. The production line models of the "Master race" specifically educated and indoctrinated to have NO IDEA about their specialness. A necessary failing to be sure.

In a sick way, it made sense. The Powers that be of the American Empire decided that the perfect way to resurrect America was with "Perfect" Americans.

The question was, what to do about it. Should he do anything? It was not as if this was their fault. It was not as if there was any malevolence on their part at all. They were even treating the people they "Liberated" with kindness and respect. It was as if they assumed that someday soon the Anarchians they were rescuing would be American Citizens.

They were almost slavishly obedient to the Constitution and the Bill of rights and appeared to pine for the day when they could reestablish "The U.S.A." as the records presented it.

Buck Rogers realized how potentially scary this really was. Genetically engineered super people with a Prime Time television Saturday morning cartoon vision of what America had once been, and a determination to remake the continent in that image.


	14. The Anarchians love their children, too

Colonel William 'Buck' Rogers was walking through a florescent-lit white hallway with linoleum flooring, while walls and steel doors covered in faux wood paneling. Each door had a sign on it indicating who worked there. He stopped and put his hand on one doorknob and turned it, walking in. The block lettering on the door read,

'COLONEL WILLIAM ROGERS'

Colonel William Rogers occupied this office because he was the current commander of the First Tactical fighter wing of the United States Air Force. His boss was General Kathleen Watts, the Chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, as it currently existed.

Buck walked past the Second Lieutenant sitting at the desk in front of the secondary door and nodded at him saying, "Lt. Dobbs, Good morning."

"Good Colonel, Would the Colonel like some coffee?"

Buck could not get used to this kid addressing him in the third person as if he was not even In the room.

"Yes, Lt. Thank you, and if you could, see if you can find a breakfast sandwich in the canteen, would you?"

"Yes, sir."

Buck walked into his office proper and hung his cover and outer jacket on the rack in the corner.

This left him in a blue set of trousers, a light blue long sleeved epaulette flight shirt with dark blue shoulder boards decorated with a silver eagle on each one. The front of his shirt was adorned with a pair of wings that had two stars in the wreath above the shield. Under that was an achievement pin/badge that showed a stylized NASA swoosh.

Buck sat down and started going over the paperwork. Recon photos of the area around pacified 'U.S. territory', surveillance data on the flights the E.D.D. was making and information on the recon satellite the Project managed to launch last moth. The E.D.D. never objected, so there it was taking pictures of New Chicago and any other Earth location it passed over. Buck was not fooled, he knew Dr. Huer could have that thing knocked out of the sky at his whim. Wilma would probably see to it personally.

Wilma was a serious problem. She probably really thought Buck turn coated on the E.D.D and joined these want-to-be Americans for real.

Buck did his job for these people to the best of his ability. He did this because unlike so many foes he faced in the 25th century these people were NOT evil, heck, they weren't even half bad. The good work they did in Anarchia to free people and destroy tyrants was testament to that. When buck led their pilots in battles against the local dirtbags it had been fun, it had made him feel good, almost like a bit of the old days come back to him.

The weapons used by both sides in the Nuclear Holocaust had been deliberately optimized for clean performance. That meant that five centuries after the event there was no real dangerous radiation and the soil was once again arable land.

Civilization was coming back in a big way thanks to these people. The Anarchians that they liberated were disturbingly, slavishly loyal and devoted to their rescuers as a result.

Buck told his aid to finish the more mundane paperwork and went to change into his flight suit to get in some air hours. Walking to the flight line Buck expressed inward shock at how many women were in various stages of pregnancy. Two thirds of them were with child at minimums of three months along. Add to that the high number of children and teenagers Buck could not help but bump into in the civilian sections. These folks were sure in an all fired hurry to reproduce themselves and increase their numbers.

With the comparatively low population on Earth, that was not exactly a bad thing. The cybernetics that raised and trained the first generation of these people were still hard at it raising the next bunch.

Buck was zipping into his suit when a six month pregnant Tech Sergeant waddled in and said,

"Colonel this flash just came in from Alert one, the General wants you to deal with this, sir."

Buck took the flimsy sheet from her and returned her salute telling her,

"Very well, Tech Sergeant, thank you, as you were."

She obeyed and waddled out of the locker room.

Buck read the sheet,

"Earth Defense Directorate Starfighters and reconnaissance craft sighted at regular intervals making low altitude over flights over U.S. 'no fly zones'"

Buck crumpled the sheet in one fist and blurted out,

"Shit."


End file.
